Tattered flags receive final salute at ceremony

Saturday

Jun 15, 2013 at 9:20 PM

A day after Flag Day, a local group held a solemn ceremony to properly dispose of dozens of old and tattered American flags.

By Jed BlackwellFor the Herald-Journal

A day after Flag Day, a local group held a solemn ceremony to properly dispose of dozens of old and tattered American flags.Members of Assembly 1655 of the Knights of Columbus gathered Saturday morning at Our Risen Savior Catholic Church on Reidville Road to hold the formal event that ended with disposing of the flags by fire in a respectful, reverent setting.The Knights of Columbus were founded on the principles of charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism, according to Ron Stanley, who helped conduct the ceremony. Assembly 1655 is a 4th-degree assembly, with a focus on patriotism. "We probably do five or six patriotic events per year," Stanley said. "The biggest is our Foundation of Freedom program, which presents framed parchment copies of the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and Constitution to area schools."Saturday's ceremony is an annual event, based around Flag Day. Stanley said the 60 to 70 flags were collected through the church."Our emphasis is always on patriotism," Stanley said. "Boy Scout Troop 79 has been helping us for a number of years, and I think it gives the kids a little feel of patriotism and a reverence and respect for the flag."The ceremony began with the members of Assembly 1655 of the Knights of Columbus dressed in full regalia. The Faithful Navigator, who also serves as the presiding officer, gave the introduction and opened the ceremony. An honor guard made up of a member of the Knights of Columbus and two boys from Boy Scout Troop 79 and their scout master presented each flag. The next step involved officers from the Knights of Columbus talking about the importance of the flag.To show respect, prayers were said next in honor of the 60 to 70 flags and their faithful service. Before burning and disposing of the flags, the group recited the Pledge of Allegiance. The Knights of Columbus led a campaign to have the words "under God" added to the Pledge of Allegiance in the early 1950s. "We put out the information that we're having the ceremony, and the flags come in," Stanley said. "We collect a large number from several different places."He also said it was of utmost importance to learn how to properly dispose of the American flag. "The flag has flown over every battlefield we've fought on since the beginning of our country," he said. "Not to handle it with reverence, in light of the sacrifices made for it, would be a great shame and a great waste."Tim Peacock of Spartanburg, one of the Boy Scouts who assisted with the ceremony, agreed with Stanley."It's incredibly important," said Peacock, 17. "If you don't treat the symbol of your country with respect, then what do you really think of it?"